A group of Island dive enthusiasts spent Earth Day cleaning up Oak Bluffs Harbor. Among the items hauled up from harbor floor last Saturday were several bicycles, a bar stool, a trash can, fishing line, a baby stroller, shopping cart, mobile phones, numerous bottles, cans, hoses, and ropes, according to Heidi Raihofer, who helped organize the clean up.
“The amount of trash in the harbor has always bothered me,” Ms. Raihofer said. “This time of year the water’s a little bit clearer but the minute you start touching things you stir up the bottom so it can be pretty murky.”
About 20 divers participated, backed up on shore by the Oak Bluffs harbor, highway, and shellfish departments.
“It’s not necessarily things people throw overboard, it’s things that just fall into the water,” Ms. Raihofer said. “It’s sort of the tip of the iceberg, but it’s great to start getting the stuff out of there, especially the big stuff.
Another harbor clean-up day is planned for the fall.